South St. Paul: Burglar busted after failing to log off Facebook, police say

A South St. Paul burglar effectively updated his status to "busted" when he logged into Facebook on a computer in the home he is accused of breaking into, prosecutors say.

Nicholas Steven Wig, 26, was charged Friday in Dakota County District Court with second-degree burglary. He remained in jail Tuesday with bail set at $25,000.

According to the criminal complaint filed against Wig:

On Thursday, a resident returned to his home in the 600 block of Concord Street North in South St. Paul to find the residence in disarray, with a screen missing from a window and items including cash, credit cards, a checkbook and a watch missing from the bedroom.

He noticed a wet pair of jeans and tennis shoes on the floor. He also noticed a Facebook page -- "Nick Dub" -- open on his computer.

The person using the page was later identified as Wig, the complaint said.

The homeowner contacted Wig later that day. Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said the homeowner ultimately was the one who tracked the man down before calling police.

"I've never heard of this occurring before," Backstrom said of the circumstances of the alleged break-in. "It's obviously fairly unique."

When police found Wig, he was wearing the watch that had been taken in the burglary, according to the charges.

Police asked if he had items that didn't belong to him. He said he was going to give everything back, the charges said.

After police read Wig his Miranda rights, he said he came into the house through an unlocked front door.

He said he changed into clothing he found in the home because his own clothes were wet, according to the charges.

"He made himself at home," Backstrom said.

Wig admitted to using the computer and taking the missing items, the charges said.